General Information about Postdoctoral Fellowships

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The IAC aims to attract front-line researchers with the aim of continuously developing its own research lines or new topics arising in the fields of observational, theoretical and instrumental astrophysics, as well as carrying out support tasks.

The IAC has been selected as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0548) by the Spanish Government in 2015, a prestigious recognition awarded for the second time to the IAC as a leading research institute in Spain, representing a world leading institution and a clear example of the quality and relevance of the pioneering scientific research carried out in Spain for the period 2016-2019.

The IAC is a research centre which has achieved a front-line position at international level. Its Research Division is composed of 180 researchers of which about 30% have a permanent position and the rest have a fixed-term contract or a study grant (both Postdocs and PhD students); the total number of people contractually linked to the IAC (at the IAC headquarters and its two Observatories) is of about 380 persons.

Our research centre offers scientists all available advantages, facilities and resources. These include:

- Salaries appropriate to the standard of living in the Canary Islands. Island weighting is included.

- Researchers contracted by the Research Division will be provided in addition with the following facilities and resources:

  • A shared office, equipped with telephone connection and computer network.
  • A 13" MacBook Pro with docking station and a 24" flat-screen monitor.
  • Computing support: specific software packages (http://www.iac.es/sieinvens/SINFIN/) and general assistance in computing matters by the SIC (Servicios Informáticos Comunes: Common Computing Services)
  • Ample disk space in a Network-Attached Storage System.
  • Access to SuperComputing facilities: http://www.iac.es/sieinvens/SINFIN/Main/supercomputing.php), including the La Palma supercomputer (http://www.iac.es/servicios.php?op1=30&lang=en) and TeideHPC (http://teidehpc.iter.es/en/home/)
  • Funding for observing runs at the Observatorio del Teide on Tenerife and the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma, and to any other observatory (ESO, Hawaii, etc.).
  • Funding to attend scientific conferences, meetings and workshops or short-term stays at other research centres to collaborate with other scientists.
  • Funding for the costs resulting from publications in specialised journals.
  • Support for the organisation of International scientific meetings or workshops in astrophysics.
  • Specific administrative support provided by the Secretariat of the Research Division including the entire processing of scientific trips (Ordenes de Desplazamiento).
  • Additional training (courses, seminars, etc.).

Given the leadership and participation of the IAC in GTC, IAC research groups are preparing the scientific exploitation of these instruments. Active participation within the framework of these groups would potentially favour immediate access of the researcher to the GTC's scientific exploitation. In addition, the IAC actively participates in space projects, such as Solar Orbiter, Herschel, Planck, Eddington, etc.

Taking into account the resources available and the recognized quality of its projects (in some of which the postdoc will collaborate) and researchers, the IAC offers the ideal environment for scientists to develop a successful career in astrophysical research.